Massage implement.



PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

J. BARKER. MASSAGE IMPLEMENT.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 30,1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BARKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MASSAGE IMPLEMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mayl, 1906.

Application filed September 30,1904. Serial No. 226,687.

. Im rovements in Massage Implements, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements in the massage implement for which I obtained Letters Patent of the United States, No. 750,568, dated January 26, 1904, the purose of my present improvements being to facilitate the handling of the implement, to im rove the action of the same, and to provi e for the effective lubrication of the working parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is gitudinal section, of sufficient of a. massage lmplement to illustrate my present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of art ,of the same, showing part of the stem 0 the massage member detached therefrom. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line b b, Fig. 1; and Fi 5 is an enlarged sectional View of part of the 1m lement.

In Fig. 1 of t e drawings, 1 represents a sleeve having a cylindrical bearlng for a shaft 2, said sleeve being enlarged at theupper end, so as to form a cup 3, the base of which has formed in it a semis herical recess for the reception of the semis ceives a conical head 8 at the lower end of a stem 9, whose upper end is provided with a spherical head 10, which is adapted to a semispherical seat in a cap 11, the latter being provided with a tubular neck 12, whichis threaded externally for adaptation to an internal thread in the enlar ed or cupped portion 3 of the sleeve 1, so t at by adjustment of said threaded neck in respect to the sleeve the heads 8 and 10 of the shaft 9 may be caused to bear with any required degree of force against the head. 4 of the shaft 2 and against the capll, all lost motion being thereby prevented or readily compensated for when it occurs by reason of wear of any of these parts. Furthermore, the preparaerical head 4- at the upper end of the sha t 2. The saidtion of the head and recess is greatly facili tated and more economical to make than the s herical head and recess, and in addition thereto there are the further advantages that the head can always be kept close-fitting by reason of the fact that the recess .wears more evenly with the conical head than I with the spherical head, and loose fit between the head and recesss is therefore prevented. Again, the conical recess provides a greater bulk of metal between the side wall thereof and the outer periphery of the semispherical head 4 of the stem or shaft 2 than can be provided in a construction using the semispherical recess. The threaded neck 12 of the cap 11 can be locked in position after adjustment by means of a screw 13, adapted to a threaded opening in the side of the cup 3, this screw acting upon a plug 14, of leather, wood, or other seml-elastic material, which is pressed against the threads of the neck12 'and serves to exert such friction thereupon said cup and the threaded neck 12, so as to prevent leakage of 011 between the two.

The axial llne of the eccentric conical recess 4 is oblique to the axis of the shaft 2 to an extent determined by the extent of eccentricity of the recess, as shown in Fig. 5, in which the respective axes are indicated by dotted lines. By reason of this construction a snug fit of the head 8 in the recess 4* is per mitted at all times, a full bearing is obtained,

and all rattlin due to loose fit 1s revented. The space within the cup 3 and t e neck 12 of the ca 11 constitutesan oil-chamber, the supply 0 oil being introduced into the same through a lateral o ening which is normally closed by a screw-p ug '17, as shown in Fig. 1, and this chamber is closed at the top by a follower 18, which fits snugly to the under part .of the spherical head 10, such contact eing maintained by means of a coiled sprin 19, which is contained within the neck 12 an is acted upon by, a ring-nut 20, adapted to an internal thread in the lower portion of said neck, the spring acting upon a washer 21, which bears upon a packing-ring 22, of leather or equivalent material, seated against the follower 18, this packing-ring serving to prevent escape of oil between the periphery of the follower and the inner wall of the neck 12. Oil is conveyed to a central opening 23 in the shaft 9 through a lateral opening 24, (shown in Fig. 1,) said central opening in the shaft 9 passing through the head 8 of the same, whereby oil can gain access to the conical faces of said head and of the eccentric recess in the head 4. The upper end of the central opening 23 communicates with a chamber 25, formed in the spherical head 11, theouter end of said chamber being closed by a plug 26, of wood' or other porous material, which serves toconvey oil to the semispherical bearing formed in the cap 11. Oil is conveyed-to the external face'of the head=4 and to its bearing inthe cup 3 by means of an external groove 27 in said head, and a spiral groove'28 inthe shaft 2 conveys the oil to the bearing for the latter formed in the sleeve 1.

In order to facilitate the manipulation of the implement, I provide the same with a pivoted handle instead of formingthe handle directly upon the sleeve 1, asbefore, the pivotal axis of this handle being at a right angle to the axis of the shaft 2 and forming a substantial prolongation of the axis of the shaft which carries the massage member, thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the handle 30 has at the upper enda bent shank 31, which is pivotally mounted upon a stud 32, projecting from-the back of the cap 11, a screw 33 being adapted to an internally-threaded opening in said stud and the head of the screw serving to revent the removal of the handle-shank 31 from the stud, as shown in Fig. 1. Surrounding the stud 32 is. acoiled spring 34, which bears at its inner end against a washer 35,-the latter being seated against a shoulder on the cap L1. The outer end of the spring 34bears against the inside of a cup 36, and between the latter and the handle-stem 31 isinterposed a washer 37, so that said handlestemis yieldingly retained between the said washer and the head of the screw 33. By this'means the handle 30 can be swung in a complete circle around'the stud 32, and'henee can be caused to assume any desired angle inits plane of rotation in respect to the sleeve 1 and driving-shaft 2, thereby enabling the implement to be more conveniently manipulated than if the handle was rigidly attached to'said sleeve and bore an unchanging relation to the driving-shaft. I

The spindles 40, which carries the massage member '41, has a threaded portion 42, adaptedto an internally-threaded transverse opening in the sphericalhead 10, and said spindle also has an unthreadedinner end 43, Fig.2,

which is adapted to a socket 44- in the head, the fitting of said inner end of the spindle in said socket insuring the proper centering of the spindle 40 in'respect to the head and the firm retention ofthe spindle by the head.

Flanking the spindle 40 and bearing lightly jecting portion of the cap 11 by means of a transverse bolt 46, these depending plates having a certain degree of elasticity, so that they serve to prevent lateral movement of the spindle 40 Without exerting undue friction upon the same.

Havin thus described my invention, I

claim an desire to secure byLetters Pat'ent 1. The combination, in a massage implement, of a driving-shaft having a head with which is adapted to the fixed bearing, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a massage implement, of a shaft having a rounded head,

means for imparting gyrating movement to said shaft, a casing providing a bearing for said head and inclosing an oil-chamber, and

an-adjustable follower bearing. upon the head and constitutin one of theclosures' of said oil-chamber, su stantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a massage implement, of a shaft having. a rounded head,-

means for imparting gyrating: movement to said shaft, a casing having a bearing for said rounded head, a follower contained within ried by the casing and acting upon saidspring, substantially asspecifie 5. The combination, ina massage implement, of ashaft having arounded head there on, means for imparting gyratingmovement to said shaft, a casing havinga cap with-bear ing for said head, a follower in said capalso bearing. upon the head, packing-rings, one inside of the cap and the other outside of the same, and a lock-nut on the cap for imparting pressure tothe outside packing-ring, sub' stantially as-specified.

6. The combination, in amassage implement, of a shaft having a rounded head thereon, means for imparting gyrating movement to said shaft, a casing having a cap withbearing for said head, afollower in said-cap also bearing upon the head, packing-rings, one

inside of the cap andthe other outside of the same, an adj ustablespring for imparting pressure to-the inside packing-ring, and alock- 1 Outside packing-ring, substantially as specinut on the cap for imparting pressure to the 7. The combination, in a massage implement, of a driving-shaft having at one end a head with eccentric recess therein, a second shaft having at one end a rounded head and at the other end a head adapted to said eccentric recess, and a casing having bearings for said parts, said casing containing a sealed oil-chamber which is in. communication with said bearings, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, in a massage implement, of a driving-shaft'having at one end a head with eccentric recess therein, a second shaft having at one end a rounded head and at the other end a head adapted to said eccentric recess, and a casing having bearings for said parts, said casing containing an inclosed oil-chamber which is in communication with said bearings through passages in the second shaft, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, in a massage implement, of a driving-shaft having at one end a head with eccentric recess therein, a second shaft having at one end a rounded head and at the other end ahead adapted to the eccentric recess of the driving-shaft, a casing having a bearing for the head of the drivingshaft, a cap closing the end of said casing and havin a bearing for the rounded head of the secon shaft, a shaft projecting from said rounded head and carrying the massage member, and a handle pivotally mounted upon the cap which closes the end of the casing,

said handle being free to turn around its axis,

substantially as specified.

10. The combination, in a massage implement, of a shaft carrying a massage member,

means forvibrating said shaft, a casing, and a handle pivotally mounted upon said casing, and adjustable to different angles in respect to the driving-shaft, substantially as speci- 11. .The combination, in a massage im lement, of a shaft carryin a massage mem er, means for vibrating sai shaft, a casing, and a handle pivotally mounted upon said casin the aXis of said handle being at a right angle to the axis of the driving-shaft, and forming a substantial continuation of the axis of the shaft which carries the massage member, substantially as specified.

12. The combination, in a massage implement, of a massage member, a shaft carrying the same, means for vibrating said shaft, a"

pivotal'member of the handle longitudinally to said projection, and a spring-actuated washer bearing upon said pivotal member of the handle, substantially asspecified.

1 1. The combination, in a massage implement, of the massage member, a shaft carrying the same, means for vibrating the shaft,

and a casing having depending spring-plates secured thereto, one on each side of said shaft, said plates being in contact with the shaft, so as to prevent lateral movement thereof, substantially as specified.

15. The combination, in a massage implement, of the massage member, a spindle carrying the same and having a threaded portion and an unthreaded portion beyond the same, with an operating-shaft having a head with threaded opening for the reception of the threaded portion of the spindle and a socket for the reception of the unthreaded portion of the same, substantially as specified.

1 6. The combination, in a massage im lement, of ashaft carrying a massage mem er, a driving-shaft, a casing, and a handle mounted upon said casing so as to be free to swing on an axis different from the axis of the driving-shaft and entirely independent of the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES BARKER.

Witnesses:

WALTER OHIsM, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

